A6 Chip Equipped with Triple-Core Graphics

With the introduction of the iPhone 5, Apple announced that the new device is powered by a custom, ARM-based A6 chip. It was speculated that Apple was utilizing triple-core PowerVR SGX 543MP3 graphics units on the chip. Apple’s other option was to use the quad-core SGX 543MP4 graphics found on the A5X chip that powers the third-generation iPad.

AnandTech is now reporting on images they received from UBM TechInsights, which shows the layout of the A6 chip, and unsurprisingly, there are three graphics cores located on the chip. They are located to the right in this image:

To me, this is the real magic of the iPhone 5. Apple has rolled out their own, custom ARM design, and has milked every nm of the processor die to create something that is more powerful than the G5 PowerMac of just nine years ago. This is truly amazing engineering work.